History contest winners announced

During the mid-October Fall Meetings at National Headquarters in Indianapolis, past and present department and national Legion historians from across the country gathered in the building’s library. Their purpose was twofold: to conduct a meeting of their own membership group, and to judge the entries in the National Post History and National Department History contests.

The group, National Association of Department Historians of the American Legion (NADHAL), began its proceedings by welcoming newly appointed National Historian N. Larry Rozier of North Carolina. Rozier has been a historian on both the post and the department level. Regular meeting business was conducted, including the election of a new president – James Mariner of New Mexico – and other officers.

Attention then turned to the two contests. Post entries had previously taken the first award at department conventions during the spring and summer; department entries had been sent directly to Indianapolis. Rozier announced the winners on Oct. 18 during his report to the National Executive Committee. Out of 47 total entries – up from 42 last year – the top finishers in each category are:

One-Year Department Yearbook

• First Award, Department of Ohio;
• Second Award, Department of North Carolina
• Third Award, Department of Georgia
• Honorable Mention, Department of Florida
• Honorable Mention, Department of Missouri

One-Year Department Narrative

• First Award, Department of North Carolina
• Second Award, Department of Maine

One-Year Post Yearbook

• First Award, Adams Township Post 553, Toledo, Ohio
• Second Award, Charles S. Hatch Post 79, Berwick, Maine
• Third Award, Alois Dreikosen Post 469, Marathon, Wis.
• Honorable Mention, Julius L. Shryer Post 430, Durant, Iowa
• Honorable Mention, Frank B. Bartlett Post 7, Buckhannon, W.Va.

One-Year Post Narrative

• First Award, Marshall S. Sayner Post 341, Bella Vista, Ark.
• Second Award, Pony Express Post 359, St. Joseph, Mo.
• Third Award, Frank E. Booma Post 6, Portsmouth, N.H.
• Honorable Mention, Audie L. Murphy Post 336, San Antonio
• Honorable Mention, Dwight Cowles Post 370, Overland Park, Kan.

Post and department historians should consider starting now on entries for next year’s contests. For more information, contact your department historian. A directory of Legion departments can be found here. Find out more about NADHAL at www.nadhal.org.